Obama Commutes Sentences of 98 More Inmates; 42 Had Life Terms

President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 98 inmates Thursday, continuing his efforts to release federal inmates sentenced to harsh prison terms for nonviolent drug offenses. Nearly half the group – 42 people – had been originally sentenced to life imprisonment.

The latest announcement pushes the total number of commutations he has granted to 872 during his time in office. This total easily surpasses the combined number of commutations handed down by his 11 predecessors, who commuted a total of 715 sentences during their terms.

Obama has criticized the impacts of severe sentences imposed during the height of the country’s war on drugs. During a speech last year, the president said that the criminal justice system in the United States was “not as fair as it should be,” adding: “Mass incarceration makes our country worse off, and we need to do something about it.”

In a blog post, White House counsel Neil Eggleston wrote that the 98 men and women granted clemency Thursday had proven they deserved the chance to rebuild their lives outside prison.

“While there has been much attention paid to the number of commutations issued by the President, at the core, we must remember that there are personal stories behind these numbers,” he said. “These are individuals – many of whom made mistakes at a young age – who have diligently worked to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated. … For the 42 individuals originally sentenced to life imprisonment, today’s news will carry special weight when they learn that they will be able to return to their families and communities.

The administration’s highly-touted clemency initiative had been tangled up by bureaucratic delays after it got underway. Though the pace of commutations he has granted has worried activists – and, as of earlier this month, there were more than 11,000 petitions pending, according to the Justice Department – there has been a flurry of activity on this front recently.

In August, Obama commuted the sentences of 214 inmates, setting a single-day record for his administration, and the 111 commutations he handed down a few weeks later also helped set a single-month record. Earlier this month, Obama granted clemency to an additional 102 inmates.

Margie Peerce, a partner at the firm Ballard Spahr who sits on the steering committee of Clemency Project 2014, said in an interview that while some have been frustrated with the rate of the president’s commutations, they need to take into account that “you had an initiative that had to start from scratch,” where 4,000 lawyers had to be trained to handle the petitions filed by roughly 37,000 inmates. There was a delay in getting the pre-sentencing report for the inmates, which were required as part of their application, and each case had to be assessed individually.

“I’m frankly amazed at how much has gone through,” Peerce said. “If you’d had this infrastructure already in place, it would have gone much faster.”

Peerce’s firm represented three inmates who received clemency Thursday, including Brett Poore, who was sentenced to 262 months in prison and five years’ supervised release in connection with methamphetamine charges. Poore earned his GED in prison, Peerce noted, and took maintenance classes and other courses while incarcerated.

“What is consistent throughout, and one of the things that has amazed me throughout this process, is that even people who are serving life sentences have tried to better themselves while in prison,” she said.

Some activists are pushing for the president to grant clemency to all nonviolent offenders who have served more than 10 years in federal prison. Jessica Jackson Sloan, national director and co-founder of the group #cut50, said in an interview that Obama’s criticism of the nation’s harsh mandatory drug sentences has given all nonviolent offenders reason to believe that they could be freed by the end of his term.

“Now you’ve raised their hopes, and we hope the president grants their hopes,” she said, adding that her group is launching a public campaign to highlight 40 families that help embody why these sentences are unfair. “We’re definitely making the case, but we’re also making space” for him to do it.

Here is the full list of people who had their sentences commuted Tuesday (via the White House):

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David Alan Aldridge – Odessa, Texas, Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine; possession of equipment, chemicals, products and materials to manufacture methamphetamine; possession of a detectable amount of methamphetamine; purchasing more than nine (9) grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine during a 30 day period (six counts); Western District of Texas Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release; $35,000 fine (August 13, 2009)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 151 months’ imprisonment, and unpaid balance of the $35,000 fine remitted, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months’ imprisonment.

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Kevin Bivins – Niagara Falls, New York, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base; use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking offense (eight counts); Western District of New York Sentence: 168 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (January 11, 2002); amended to 240 months’ imprisonment (on remand) (July 18, 2003)

Wallace Bourgeois Jr. – LaPlace, Louisiana, Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”); Eastern District of Louisiana; wire fraud; Eastern District of Louisiana

Damon Brightman – Goose Creek, South Carolina, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of South Carolina Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (March 22, 2006)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 210 months’ imprisonment.

Mark Lamont Byrd – St. Louis, Missouri, Offense: Possession with intent to distribute in excess of five grams of cocaine base; possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; Eastern District of Missouri Sentence: 180 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (May 19, 2006)

John Aundo Gamble – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Offense: Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; using, carrying and possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; District of South Carolina Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (August 31, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

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Ignatizo Giuliano – Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Offense: Knowingly conspiring with other persons to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; Middle District of Florida Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (November 4, 1991)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

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Wayne Gross – St. Louis, Missouri, Offense: Unlawful user of controlled substances while in possession of firearms; possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (crack); carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; Eastern District of Missouri Sentence: 248 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (April 2, 2004)

Robert Sedillo Gutierrez – Roswell, New Mexico, Offense: 1. Possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, its salts, isomers, and salts of its isomers; District of New Mexico.

Supervised release violation (attempt to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine); District of New Mexico

Ferlandis Urben Herod – Memphis, Tennessee, Offense: 1. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; 2. Supervised release violation (conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine); 1. Middle District of Tennessee; 2. Western District of Tennessee Sentence: 1. Life imprisonment; 2. 24 months’ imprisonment (consecutive); 10 years’ supervised release (1. July 14, 2005; 2. December 19, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 264 months’ imprisonment.

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Olynthia Louise Hinton – Chester, South Carolina, Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of South Carolina Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (February 15, 2006)

James Holmes – Nashville, Tennessee, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base; maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base; Northern District of Alabama Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (February 16, 2005)

Antonio Hood – Lancaster, South Carolina, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of South Carolina Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (February 2, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment.

Gerald Jerome Johnson – Jamestown, North Dakota, Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; District of North Dakota Sentence: Life plus 25 years’ imprisonment (October 10, 2006)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 300 months’ imprisonment.

Charles Jermaine Keitt – Orangeburg, South Carolina, Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana; District of South Carolina Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (September 23, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 151 months’ imprisonment.

Bobby Earl Lee – St. Petersburg, Florida, Offense: Possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base; possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime; Middle District of Florida Sentence: Life plus 60 months’ imprisonment (September 16, 1994)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

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Edward Monroe Little – Maiden, North Carolina, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine and cocaine base; possessing with intent to distribute, a quantity of cocaine base, and aiding and abetting; Western District of North Carolina Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (January 10, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 24, 2017 and unpaid balance of the $5,000 fine remitted.

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Alberto Lopez – Gardner, Massachusetts, Offense: Conspiracy to possess heroin and cocaine base with intent to distribute; possession of heroin with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin; possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute and distribution, aiding and abetting (three counts); District of Massachusetts Sentence: Life imprisonment; six years’ supervised release (June 4, 1996)

Rico Mayo – Benicia, California, Offense: Possession of five or more grams of cocaine base; use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Eastern District of California Sentence: 420 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (February 9, 1998)

Otis McRay – Satsuma, Florida, Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; distribution of 5 grams or more of cocaine base (two counts); Middle District of Florida Sentence: Life imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (November 26, 2001)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

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Terrance Ramon Merritt – Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base; 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and marijuana; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a detectable amount of MDMA and a detectable amount of marijuana; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Northern District of Florida Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (March 15, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 168 months’ imprisonment.

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David Neighbors – Evansville, Indiana, Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and less than 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride; distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base; Southern District of Indiana Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (December 17, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

Reisa Lynn Pettiette – Athens, Texas, Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine; conspiracy to possess a listed chemical knowing it will be used to manufacture a controlled substance; possession of a listed chemical with intent to manufacture a controlled substance; possession and distribution of a listed chemical with intent to manufacture a controlled substance; possession of an unregistered firearm; use, carrying, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; Eastern District of Texas Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (October 16, 2003)

Brett Rolland Poore – Austin, Texas, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting; Western District of Texas Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (September 23, 2005)

Ronnie Dean Shelton – Floyd, Virginia, Offense: Possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute; Western District of Virginia Sentence: 188 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (November 19, 2008)

Alicia Siller – Coleman, Texas, Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting; possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams or methamphetamine and aiding and abetting; use of a person under 18 years of age in drug operations and aiding and abetting; Northern District of Texas Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; six years’ supervised release (October 24, 2003)

Oscar A. Smith, Jr. – North Charleston, South Carolina, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”); District of South Carolina Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (July 18, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment.

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Brandon Terrell Stevenson – Gainesville, Florida, Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of a mixture and substance containing cocaine and more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base; Northern District of Florida Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (October 30, 2009)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 210 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Hayzen Turner, Jr. – Adamsville, Alabama, Offense: Distribution of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (three counts); distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base, cocaine hydrochloride and marijuana; carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; felon in possession of a firearm (three counts); Northern District of Alabama Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (December 18, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 180 months’ imprisonment.

Kevin Washington – Owensboro, Kentucky, Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine; aiding and abetting knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute and distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base (three counts); Western District of Kentucky Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (June 18, 2004)

Donald Jamal Wilson – Huntington, West Virginia, Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and quantities of cocaine and heroin; intentionally make available for use, with or without compensation, an apartment for the purpose of storing cocaine base and heroin (two counts) ; Southern District of West Virginia Sentence: Life imprisonment (March 24, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

15 people on this list were in the procession of firearm. Being in pocession of a firearm isn’t like being in pocession of a money a cellular phoneor car, Maybe technically this is considered non violent, but anyone who owns a firearm and was caught simply didn’t have a chance to use it.